Hello from slow-internet-Iraq - First custom firmware - Can Tomato QoS do this?

I am a private contractor in Iraq and we share a 1024kbps satellite connection with about 15 people. Some of the users are abusing the 'house rules', so I have decided to replace the current router with something I can actually configure. I ordered a Linksys WRT54GL and it should be arriving in a few days.

Anywho, I need the new firmware, whether it be dd-wrt or tomato to do the following:

Completely block online gaming, such as WoW, xbox live, etc
Give absolute priority to Skype - this is our mode of communication to home
Give 2nd priority to 'normal web browsing'
Limit bandwidth to certain users, increase it for others.
Block p2p
Block torrents
Block itunes and another music downloads during certain hours

I am a private contractor in Iraq and we share a 1024kbps satellite connection with about 15 people. Some of the users are abusing the 'house rules', so I have decided to replace the current router with something I can actually configure. I ordered a Linksys WRT54GL and it should be arriving in a few days.

Anywho, I need the new firmware, whether it be dd-wrt or tomato to do the following:

Completely block online gaming, such as WoW, xbox live, etc
Give absolute priority to Skype - this is our mode of communication to home
Give 2nd priority to 'normal web browsing'
Limit bandwidth to certain users, increase it for others.
Block p2p
Block torrents
Block itunes and another music downloads during certain hours

mTorrent can use almost any port for connections, so AFAIK blocking 6881-6889 won't work. But you can use an Access Restriction rule to block certain port ranges or P2P protocols using IPP2P or L7 rules.

The above is available for Tomato. I dunno about DDWRT as i have not used it.

mTorrent can use almost any port for connections, so AFAIK blocking 6881-6889 won't work. But you can use an Access Restriction rule to block certain port ranges or P2P protocols using IPP2P or L7 rules.

The above is available for Tomato. I dunno about DDWRT as i have not used it.

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Yea, that was going to be my next question. Whether or not tomato could block applications, rather than just port. Most any torrent software these days allow you to set whichever port range you desire. Many even randomize ports now.

I suppose I'll look for and hop on the Tomato FAQ.

To the above poser, maybe I should have asked about router options before I bought one. Oh well, Live and learn, right?

I am sure that you will be able to do something to sort out the problem with Tomato. DD-WRT probably not - the QOS is basically almost useless.

You've only got a relatively low speed internet connection and a small number of users so the WRT54GL will be perfectly OK. There are several other military guys on this forum in the past doing exactly the same thing as you, as far as I recall they used QOS with great effect. Maybe one of will come on to assist you.

Since you actually want to block the things that cause the most problem, it will actually be very easy for you to do. Don't attempt to control P2P or games using filters. Set your default class to E, and then just prioritize everything you do wish to allow in the different classes (you have 10 available). P2P and everything else you don't address will bypass your rules and end up in class E. Then, configure E as a "crawl" class - set it to allow no bandwidth or whatever. After that, monitor to see if any applications are using other ports to bypass this, and then decide what to do about them.

You may want to look into VoIP over Satellite internet as well... there may be others out there who've tried Skype using similar internet connectivity. From what I've read, it doesn't work very well, if at all, due to the high latency you get over a satellite connection, that was in the context of SIP, but I doubt if Skype would be any different. Try asking over at www.voxilla.com

That was also my worry, but as I have no experience of skype at all, let alone over satellite links, I didn't say anything. However, I recall some of the military guys stationed in various countries saying they used skype, so I assume it can be made to work.

BaileyMotot, are you already using skype? If so, perhaps you could let us know how well it works, always useful information to have and to pass on.

You may want to look into VoIP over Satellite internet as well... there may be others out there who've tried Skype using similar internet connectivity. From what I've read, it doesn't work very well, if at all, due to the high latency you get over a satellite connection, that was in the context of SIP, but I doubt if Skype would be any different. Try asking over at www.voxilla.com

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Skype works surprisingly well. only time it has issues is when people are abusing the network. Even when the internet is crawling, Skype usually still works.

Skype is very popular out here in the middle east, most people use it with relatively good success. On a side note, other voip services, such as MSN, tend to not work nearly as well.